rose petal jam

How do you like your eggs in the morning?

The other morning, I think it was Sunday, I wanted to make scrambled eggs for brekkie. However, Dom wanted to go for a run and by the time he got back, got showered it was more like brunch time. Sundays can be like this, it’s probably the only day of the week where it seems OK to have two meals rather than three. Probably because there is often the promise of a big roast dinner later on!

So, scrambled egg didn’t sound enough. Not in quantity but in flavour. Now don’t get me wrong, I love scrambled eggs with their soft blandness and I rather immodestly think mine are some of the best I have ever had (after much practice, I used to make eggs like rubber!), but brunch needs more of a kick to it don’t you think?

So this is what I came up with, purely from bits and pieces that I had in the fridge and store cupboard. I decided to make something with a bit of a kick, mainly for Dom who embraced curry for breakfast when we travelled to Sri Lanka and loves all things spicy.

Spicy scrambled eggs

Two spring onions, finely sliced
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
Half a courgette, diced
1 red chilli, deseeded and cut into little slices
1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
4 eggs
Wholemeal bread toast
Few leaves of basil (coriander or parsley would also be ok)
A little oil

Make the toast and keep warm (I find this easier than trying to make whilst trying to make the eggs which nearly always ends in burnt toast!)

Gently fry the onion, garlic, cumin, chilli and courgette until softened and aromatic

Beat the eggs in a bowl and then pour over the veggie mix

Add some chopped basil

Scramble the eggs by gently cooking the eggs over a low heat until they are a sloppy consistency. Don't over stir, just fold the set egg from the bottom of the pan into the liquid egg. At this point, when they are still a bit runny, be brave and remove from the heat. The heat of the pan and in the egg mixture will do the rest of the cooking. If you keep it on the hob until they look done they will end up over cooked.

Serve on top of the toast and garnish with the remaining basil.

You could put whatever you have and like into this, peppers would be good, cheese added at the end would be nice, maybe some parmesan? I think if I had had some I would have used coriander over the basil but in a way I was glad it was the only fresh herb I had as it was a nice contrast and not the obvious choice.

Make it your own, but make it. It’s dead easy, very quick and would make not only a great brunch but would be a fab quick tea before having to rush back out to meet friends etc.

oh cherry oh cherry oh baby

dedication: this post is for Carli, who I reckon would have loved this as much as me!

Look what was drink of the day in Becketts in Whitby when we were staying at the cottage the other week! A cherryade float! As soon as I read the blackboards there was only one drink for me. It was a lovely sunny day with blue skies and breezes and therefore the perfect occasion to indulge in such a seasidey (is that a word?) and nostalgic drink.

I first had an ice cream float courtesy of Emma Sawula when I was about 9 and so she was about 13. It was a Pepsi float and she couldn’t believe that I had never had one before! I had never heard of such a thing but it was amazing and I have never forgotten it. Years later I ordered one for Emma’s daughter Zoe, when she was about seven and she must have said the word ‘delicious’ about 12 times whilst drinking it.

The brilliantest (another made up word) thing about floats is the way the fizzy pop reacts with the ice cream to produce a larva-like foam which overspills the glass. Magic!

The best ice cream float is, in my opinion, one made with American cream soda. The combination of the sweet, creamy fizz and the sweet vanilla ice cream is gorgeous. But this cherryade version was absolutely sublime. And so pink! It has to taste good when it looks as good as that.

Becketts is a great café in Whitby. As well as amazing homemade cakes and very nice panini it sells second hand books. I found an immaculate, one previous lady owner copy of Tove Jansson’s The Summer Book there, which is a fantastic summer read. And it was just £2.50 to me – bargain! The books are mainly from the lady who owns and runs the café (and more importantly makes the cakes, like rhubarb and custard cake, white chocolate and vanilla, Greek honey, almond and orange…). She’s a big reader and once she’s done with a book she pops it on sale. Great idea!

So, if you’ve never had an ice cream float, now’s the time, just before autumn arrives! Grasp one of the last days of summer with both hands, pop a summer dress on and mix yourself a little glass of seaside heaven.

Fill a nice tall glass 3/4 full with the fizz of your choice. Now is not the time for sophistication or adult tastes. Think good old coke, dandelion and burdock, Tizer even!

Add a scoop of plain vanilla ice cream. No need for a posh kind, good old Cornish vanilla or a similar supermarket soft scoop will do. You MUST have straws otherwise you won’t be able to drink the damn thing. And a spoon. Watch the foam rise and fall over the side of the glass. Sip, slurp, scoop, lick and enjoy.